Safety escape ladder



July 10, 1951 E. w. LITTEN 2,560,457

SAFETY ESCAPE LADDER Filed Jan. 31, I948 Patented July 10, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY ESCAPE LADDER Edwin W. Litten, Pittsburgh, Pa. Application January 31, 1948, Serial No. 5,582

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a portable fire escape in the form of a flexible ladder and, in particular, to a ladder secured to a chair having a tubular frame adapted to be quickly disposed over a window sill so as to afford a safe and secure anchorage therefor whil the ladder is in use. The invention also includes improved features in the ladder itself.

Flexible ladders have been proposed heretofore as fire escapes but those with which I am familiar are difiicult to place in position for use and are bulky and cumbersome to stow away when not in use. I

The use of chairs as an anchorage for such ladders has also been suggested but only straight, high-backed chairs adapted to engage the window sill and the lower rail of the sash when raised. When used in this manner, the chair back blocks the window and makes'exit therefrom extremely difficult.

I have invented a novel combination comprising a flexible escape ladder secured to a. tubular frame chair of such construction that it is adapted to be placed with its legs extending across a window sill. When the chair is so placed, the base will extend downwardly along the outside of the wall and the seat rails will extend downwardly along the inside of the wall, thereby affording a, highly effective anchorage and leaving the window unobstructed.

A further novel feature of the invention is the provision for securing the rungs of the ladder to the flexible side members such as chains.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description which refers to the accompanying drawings illustrating a present preferred embodiment.

In the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure l is an isometric view showing the invention in position for use as a fire escape.

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing the invention with the ladder stowed under the chair so as to permit normal use of the latter.

Figure 3 is an enlarged partial elevation showing the ladder construction and the attachment thereof to the chair.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view showing the means for securing the rungs to the side chains, and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one end of a rung showing an intermediate stage of fabrication of the ladder.

V ware store.

Referring in detail to the drawings, my invention comprises a flexible ladder I0 secured to a tubular frame chair H. The ladder is composed of spaced side chains [2 and 13 with rungs l4 extending therebetween. The rungs are preferably short lengths of pipe of suitable size. The chair H is of a known type and comprises a continuous frame I5 of metal tube including a base [6, front legs ll, seat rails 18 and a back [9, with a seat proper 2|] secured to the rails I8 and a panel 2| to the back l9. There are no back legs, the space between the base and seat rails being open at the back. While the various portions of the frame have been separately designated, it will be understood that they are ordinarily composed of a single length of tube bent to shape and having its ends welded together to constitute a continuous, one piece structure.

The chains I2 and [3 may be of any suitable form, but I have selected the chain as best shown in Figure 4, which is obtainable in any hard- The chains are secured to the chair frame in any convenient manner, preferably they are secured to the front legs I! adjacent the base l6 by split clamping collars 22 having through' bolts 23 passing through the collar members and the uppermost links of the chains. The rungs I4 are secured to the chains by inner tongues 24 and outer tongues 25. These tongues are formed. by slotting the ends of the pipe lengths to be used as rungs, as indicated at 26 in Figure 5. After slotting, two opposite portions of the pipe wall between the slots are bent outwardly to form radial tongues 24 as clearly shown in Figure 4.

The ends of the pipe lengths are then inserted through the chain links and the remaining wall portions thereof bent outwardly to form tongues 25. In the illustrated embodiment, the tongues 24 extend lengthwise of the chains and serve to maintain the chain properly apart. The tongues 26 extend transversely of the chains and serve to prevent detachment of the chains from the rungs. After the rungs have been assembled with the chains as described they are permanently secured in assembled position and it will be impossible for the chains to become detached from the rungs if the rungs are made of proper length.

When the device is not in use as a fire escape, the chain may be readily stowed under the seat of the chair as shown in Figure 2. For the sake of appearance, it may be placed in a bag or other container of suitable material designed for quick removal, so the ladder will be immediately 3 available when needed but still not unsightly in the meantime.

In case of fire, it is only necessary to open a window, remove any covering from the ladder, and place the chair with its legs extending across the window sill as shown in Figure 1 whereupon the ladder falls by its own weight and remains securely suspended and available for immediate descent. Asishown the base iii. of the frame extends downwardly along the outside of the wall W below the sill S while the seat rails 18 extend downwardly along the inside of the wall. When the chair is in this position,',th'efi'back panel 2| extends substantially horizontally below the window sill on the insideof the-build 1 ing and thus serves admirablyeasa=step by=which the exit of the occupants through the window is greatly facilitated.

When the chain has been suspended as described, the tonguess? 5 adjacent the: wall serve toispace'i the'rungs therefrom;v thereby insuring azsafe; secure footing. for the "user as the descent iswmade'from one rung .to the'next. 'Ih'e tongues are held in transverse relation to .the chains byfthe'engagement of the tongues 24with 'the links'throughwhich'the tongues '25 extend;

It will be apparent that theinvention 'has many advantages: overrsafety'escape laddersas known heretofore; The tubular'frame': of thel chair provides an anchorage.whichrcan easily to house; In addition, thechainis-always availablefor:seating purposeswhen not needed for escape:

ThGzOOIlStIHCtiOIl of: thedev-ice is simple: and inexpensive and the cost of the-chair is not great:

"the seat rails remote from the legs, said seat rails.and ibasez-being adapted to engage opposite .sides of a wall beneath a window sill with the legs extending across the sill, fastening means on the legs adjacent the base for holding a laddenspaced f'romthe window sill, a flexible ladder attaehed to'said means and adapted to be suspendedalongsidethe wallof a building in spaced apart relation-thereto, and storage'facilitiesfor sa-id ladde'r between said rails and base.

EDWIN W. LITTEN.

REFERENCES" CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the fileof thisipatent:

UN ITED. STATES r PATENTS Number Name Date 199;l6l. Nunn Jan. 22; I878 5445,860 Maw.'; ..Aug. 20; 1895 851,862" Bryanti Apr. 30,1907

1,265,203: Iwata; May 7, 1918 1,482,026 Nileon J an."29, 1924 1;755;6.80' Wuest; Apr; 22, 1930 2,390,878 Greitzer Dec. 11} 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1-,197 Great Britain 1872 consideringthefact that. itserves a dual purpose. 

